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The influence of children's emotional regulation on internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of depression.

Internet addiction (IA) and depression present significant public health challenges, especially during a pandemic. Previous research conducted outside of pandemic contexts highlighted the importance of emotional regulation (ER) for depression, with specific strategies such as cognitive reappraisal (...

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Published in:Psychology, Health & Medicine Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 504 - 519
Main Authors: Chen, Hsing-Jung, Lee, Tony Szu-Hsien, Wu, Wen-Chi
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Feb2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      jtl: Psychology, Health & Medicine
      issn: 13548506
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      dt: Feb2026
      vid: 31
      iid: 2
      pid: 377
      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        191136548
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        10.1080/13548506.2025.2490223
        191136548
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        atl: The influence of children's emotional regulation on internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of depression.
      aug:
        au:
          Chen, Hsing-Jung
          Lee, Tony Szu-Hsien
          Wu, Wen-Chi
        affil: Graduate Institute of Social Work, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
      sug:
        subj:
          COVID-19 Pandemic
          Emotional Regulation Evaluation
          Internet Addiction Evaluation
          Internet Addiction Prevention and Control
          Depression Prevention and Control
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Child
          Students, Elementary Psychosocial Factors
          Prospective Studies
          Self Report
          Social Class
          Mediation Analysis
          Confidence Intervals
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          Funding Source
          Scales
          Child: 6-12 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Internet addiction (IA) and depression present significant public health challenges, especially during a pandemic. Previous research conducted outside of pandemic contexts highlighted the importance of emotional regulation (ER) for depression, with specific strategies such as cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) showing effectiveness in predicting the internalization of problems. However, knowledge regarding ER strategies for depression and IA during the pandemic remains limited, thus hindering our implementation of effective strategies. This study aimed to examine the relationships between IA, ER strategies, and depressive symptoms, and to identify protective factors against depression and IA. Additionally, it sought to investigate the mediating role of depressive symptoms. Data were collected from 824 students across the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Results highlight the risks associated with ES for both depressive symptoms and IA, while CR demonstrates potential in reducing depressive symptoms and IA. Interventions that promote the development of CR and discourage reliance on ES can effectively mitigate depressive symptoms and IA.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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